The use of wireless communications devices have become so prevalent in today's society that almost everyone you see is talking on a cell phone or other wireless communication device. As people become more confident with the use of these wireless communication devices and the services they provide, the use of wired devices, such as a wired telephone at home, have become less important in day-to-day life. The result of this change in behavior has led many people to discontinue their wired communication service and rely entirely on their wireless communication device. In some circumstances, such as those living on the fringe of service or living in large multi-unit complexes, the marginal signal strength in these locations makes relying entirely on a wireless service a somewhat risky proposition.
Recognizing this shortcoming, femto cells evolved to allow the user to increase or provide sufficient signal strength in any area where the user desired wireless communication device usage and a high-speed internet connection was available. For example, a wireless communication device user can install and initialize a femto cell in their apartment and create a wireless communication service bubble permitting reliable communications by the wireless device and allowing the user to cancel their wired communications service and rely on their wireless communication device.
In time, another problem developed related to the use of femto cells for creating reliable wireless communications. If the femto cell experienced a failure, for example a component failure or an accident breaking the femto cell and disabling communications, a user relying solely on wireless communications was placed in a position of having no ability to communicate from the area previously serviced by the femto cell. Until the user obtained a replacement femto cell, they were without communications even though there were other femto cells within communication range capable of providing temporary communication service to the incapacitated mobile communication device. Accordingly, market pressure is demanding a system and method of providing temporary communications services to localized mobile communication device users from neighboring femto cells when the user's primary femto cell fails.